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Rail History

1990’s

· 1992: The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) designated five high speed rail corridors including the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor which extends from Washington, D.C. to Richmond, Virginia to North Carolina and Georgia.

· Passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) which included $8 billion in federal funding for high speed rail.
· Gov. Tim Kaine launches Virginia’s first state sponsored Amtrak Regional train between Lynchburg and Washington, D.C.

· The Virginia General Assembly creates the Virginia Intercity Passenger Rail Operation and Capital Fund (IPROC).
· Virginia is obligated a $44.3 million federal grant to complete the project design of the DC-Richmond corridor.
· North Carolina receives a $4 million federal grant to complete the project design of the Richmond-Raleigh corridor.
· Virginia Railway Express exceeds 20,000 daily passengers.

2012

· Gov. McDonnell & the General Assembly dedicate $54.8 million to capitalize IPROC.
· Virginia receives a $74.8 million federal high speed rail grant to improve 11.4 miles of the Washington-Richmond corridor.
· The Virginia Regional train from Richmond is extended to Norfolk. The first passenger rail service to Norfolk since 1977.
· The Tier 1 environmental impact statement for the Richmond-Hampton Roads high speed rail corridor is completed.

2013

· Gov. McDonnell and the General Assembly secured $257 million for IPROC over 5 years as part of the 2013 Transportation Plan (HB 2313).

· Virginia Amtrak Regional ridership grows 100 percent over the last five years.

2014

· Ground broken on the new Roanoke Amtrak Service extension.

· The federal study for the Washington to Richmond portion of Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor is started.

· Passage of the federal comprehensive transportation bill the FAST Act which authorized $10.2 billion for intercity passenger rail over 5 years. It also included a rail title as part of federal surface transportation bill for the first time.